Quote Originally Posted by akaangela View Post
First of all you REALLY need to find out what your dog has. It sounds like he has giardia (sp?) It is highly contagious. I just went through this with my dog. You also should know what you are giving your dog. I find it strange they didn't do a fecal. Did they check his urine? It is very possible that one of the meds is a wormer, one is an antiboitic, one is for the flora in his intestines and the last one is for his upset tummy.

Diarrhea is not an illness it is the result of something wrong. You need to find out why he has it. If a dog eats something bad then it is a simple cure. If it is something worse you need to fix the problem. Every year I pay $800+ for pet insurance for 2 dogs. Every year it seems like I collect on it. Dogs are expensive. They depend on you to care for them. They can't tell you what is wrong so it is up to you to see they get everything they need.

And no $200 is not an expensive vet visit as far as vet visits go.

Sorry to step up on my soap box but as pet owners you NEED to know what is wrong with your dog and what you are giving him. If the vet didn't explain it to you then you need to ask and take notes if you have to. You wouldn't just take a pill a Dr gave you without knowing what it was for would you


P.s If you just boarded him in a kennel there are a LOT of things he could have picked up.
As I stated in one of my replies they didn't test for anything. My dog has a very sensitive stomach so this is something I deal with on occasion, usually when he comes back from the kennel. I always bring my own dog food when I take him to the kennel but I have no proof they are actually feeding him it.

If my dog exibited any other symptom of illness then I would worry. He still eats everything infront of him and still bounces off the walls with engery. My vet did ask for that information before they gave him all the medications and told me if it doesn't go away to come back. Personally I actually prefer this method. I'd rather treat it as general case first before spending hundreds on tests.

I am well aware that dogs are expensive. I knew what I was signing up for when I adopted him, but there is a line between what is necessary and what isn't. I know he could have gotten a lot from the kennel, last time he came back with a cold that had his miserable for a few days. In fact that is the only time I've never seen him bouncing off the walls with energy.